Foot-operated pedals employed for distortion are well known among musicians, becoming popular since the 1970s for stage performances, sound recordings and other purposes. For example, effects can be applied to audio, such as from electrical guitars or other instruments, or vocals from microphones, such as during a live performance.
With the use of foot-operated devices to control these audio or signal alterations, the output or effect of the changes altering these audio inputs, e.g., through distortion or delay, can improve or enhance the performance.
Although the prior art generally discusses that the effects able to be produced are unlimited, prior art foot pedals are only able to store a limited set of effects therein, i.e., the pedals now known are unable to contain a plethora of effects in order to adapt to the personal preferences of each musician or to meet diverse needs.
Accordingly, one of the drawbacks with respect to conventional pedals concerns the limitation of the audio effects stored on a same device, which ultimately limit the musical possibilities of the users, forcing them to acquire more than one pedal to obtain the desired effects or close to what they desire.
As an alternative to confer greater flexibility for possible effects, several software programs for PCs have emerged, capable of programming different effects and distortions by connecting the PC to microphones and musical devices, such as electric guitars. A drawback of this configuration, however, is the low portability of the set, and its low robustness, as compared to the pedals when subjected to the hostile environment of the stage, where vibrations and relatively high temperatures are common.
The ongoing transformation of PCs into specific hardware devices continues and there are many applications in the market, for example, current data network routers, multimedia stations, and video game consoles, among other applications.
Along the same lines, various initiatives have recently emerged that aim at providing “programmable” pedals, using proprietary programming languages, such as VST (Virtual Studio Technology) plug-ins, as noted in the description of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US2010/0269670, published on Oct. 28, 2010, which although an improvement, continues to restrict the creative options of users since adding new effects binds them to the purchase of a software license (VST), and greatly limits the availability of combinations and serial effects assembly. Additionally, the above art fails to allow parallel effects assembly, fails to include metadata capability (for plug & play), or any real plug & play since the reference requires hardcoded programming, and exhibits various other drawbacks discussed hereinbelow.
It is, therefore, an objective of the present invention to provide a foot-operated device that has flexible plug & play and other capabilities to accept new devices connected thereto, whether in serial or parallel effects assemblies.
It is a further objective of the present invention to employ metadata to facilitate plug& play and other capabilities.
It is another objective of the present invention to allow unlimited device or gadget connectivity combinations.
It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide improved networking and interfacing capabilities, such as by employing Linux Audio Developer's Simple Plugin, version 2, or LADSPA 2, or LV2, as the application program interface, and allowing an IP address association.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a graphical user interface tool to facilitate the creation and use of audio effects, allowing musicians and other creatures to better visualize the creative process and hear the audio effects generated, allowing great permutations and dynamic configuration and reconfiguration of effects.
Accordingly, the objectives of the instant invention are more broadly directed to providing a solution to the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art, being able to confer the portability of the current pedals associated with the total flexibility of programming of PCs, and also the convenience provided by the use of open programming standards and languages available to users so that they can program, configure, parameterize and write their own effects in a single pedal, exempting them from acquiring more than one device or software usage license, and giving them complete freedom of musical creation through a single device.